Pope’s meeting with Kim Davis not a form of support, Vatican says

Associated Press

Published 1:59 pm, Friday, October 2, 2015

VATICAN CITY — The Vatican on Friday distanced Pope Francis from Kim Davis, the Kentucky clerk at the center of the U.S. same-sex marriage debate, saying she was one of dozens of people the pope greeted as he left Washington and that their encounter “should not be considered a form of support of her position.”

And in a new twist, the Vatican revealed that the “only real audience” Francis had in Washington was with a former student and his family, who later identified himself as Yayo Grassi, an openly gay Argentine who met the pope with his longtime partner and some friends.

The revelations turned the table on the narrative of Davis’ encounter, making clear that Francis wanted another meeting to come to light: that of an old student and his “family,” who happens to be gay.

The Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, said Francis met with “several dozen” people at the Vatican’s Embassy in Washington just before leaving for New York. Lombardi said such meetings are normal on any Vatican trip and are due to the pope’s “kindness and availability.”

And Lombardi said Davis’ “brief” meeting that afternoon was by no means a papal endorsement of her cause.

“The pope did not enter into the details of the situation of Mrs. Davis, and his meeting with her should not be considered a form of support of her position in all of its particular and complex aspects,” Lombardi said.

“The only real audience granted by the pope at the nunciature was with one of his former students and his family,” Lombardi added.

In a video posted online, Grassi is shown entering the embassy, embracing his former teacher and introducing Francis to his partner, whom Francis recognized from a previous meeting, and a few friends from Asia.